Audio Engineering - the basics

Audio Engineering - The Basics by Izrul Fizal

What is Audio Engineering?

Have you ever recorded a song or any other sounds through a microphone? If so, you may be well on your way to a career in audio engineering. Ok, so maybe there is more to the field than just recording with a microphone, but that is a big part of it. Audio engineering is one section of the world of audio science.

In Audio engineering, electronics and mechanical devices are used to record and reproduce sound. Sounds pretty easy doesn't it? Well, we can say with conviction that it is not as easy as it sounds. There are so many different aspects of audio engineering that it can actually be quite difficult.

Have you ever been to a concert, big or small, or a recording studio? If so, you will likely have noticed one or two people, generally a lone person, operating a highly technical gadget in the middle of the floor, away from the stage. In a recording studio, the spread is located just beyond the soundproof glass of those recording. In either space, this is where the audio engineering takes place.

There are many elements combined that makes up the world of audio engineering. For example, music, psychoacoustics, acoustics, and electrical engineering are all combined to create the science of audio engineering. For the most part, the creative aspects of recording and reproducing sound are involved in the field. Typically, audio engineers do not deal with aspects such as acoustical design or noise control.

Audio Engineers

Typically, in audio engineering, there are one or more people working on the same project. However, it is the audio engineer that gets the most credit. It is his or her responsibility to see to it that the sound is manipulated and reproduced in accordance to the wants and desires of the project owner.

The next time you go to a concert or recording studio, you may now have a new found respect for audio engineers. These engineers are directly responsible for the end sound you hear when the band finally starts playing, the movie you are watching, or the television commercial you see.